No evidence exists that the Islamic State (ISIS) is planning to use the Ebola virus or another biological weapon to attack the United States, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson made the statement during a speech to the Association of the United States Army.
"We've seen no specific credible intelligence that [ISIS] is attempting to use any sort of disease or virus to attack our homeland," Johnson said,
according to The Hill.
Johnson's remarks came after retired
Naval Capt. Al Shimkus said last week that ISIS could target the U.S. using Ebola.
"In the context of terrorist activity, it doesn't take much sophistication to go that next step to use a human being as a carrier," said Shimkus, who is now a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College.
Joining Shimkus in that assertion was Amanda Teckman, who wrote a paper titled, "The Bioterrorist Threat of Ebola in East Africa and Implications for Global Health and Security."
"The threat of an Ebola bioterrorist attack in east Africa is a global health and security concern, and should not be ignored," Teckman said. "But just because this is not probable for ISIS, I do believe others will at least contemplate using such suicide infectors."
Johnson, however, dismissed the claims and said ISIS has not done or said anything to make the U.S. government think it will develop a biological weapon. Still, he said the terror group poses a serious threat.
"[ISIS is a] "very, very dangerous terrorist organization," he said. "They've called for attacks in the West, and that's why we're taking the fight to them militarily, with airstrikes. We simply have no choice. This is something that has to be confronted."
One person,
a Dallas nurse, has contracted the Ebola virus within the U.S. There are other possible cases as well, although none has been confirmed as Ebola.
The government has yet to place travel restrictions on people coming from the center of the Ebola outbreak in western Africa, although
polls show that the majority of Americans would like to see a restricted entry policy from those countries.
Republican lawmakers would like to see travel restrictions as well.
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